Anchor Bay, on the north side of Tāwharanui Peninsula, is the main beach in Tāwharanui Regional Park. The entrance road car park terminates below the beach, and then it’s only a few minutes walk to the beach through a grassed reserve with public facilities. Stick to the short, marked paths to the beach, as the dunes are protected. Similarly, there are dotterels, and their nesting sites will be fenced off in spring.
The beach in front of the car park is crescent-shaped with white sand and tinges of gold. The west end is interrupted by Moana Lookout and continues past the campground. If you walk west along the beach, you will notice the orange cliffs, from which local Māori used to derive red pigments.
The east end is interrupted by Flat Rock, a significant gold and orange-coloured rocky point that can be walked around at low tide. A couple of walk-through caves are also accessible as the tide retreats on the west side of the point. Beyond Flat Rock, the beach continues and then curves to a much rockier foreshore.
The beach is safe for swimming, and the surf is generally modest. The water in front of the beach is also a marine sanctuary, so you may want to bring a snorkel. It is popular, so the car park fills up on warm weekends and holidays. Try to be there early (or late) or avoid crowds.
